Uncoupling mechanism for car couplers



Aug. 22, 1933- A. J. BAZELEY UNCOUPLING MECHANISM FOR CAR COUPLERS 3Sheets-Sheet 1 mhbabkowm Filed Feb. 25, 1928 Aug. 22, 1933. A. J.BAZELEY UNGCUPLING MECHANISM FOR CAR COUPLERS Filed Feb. 25, 1 928 3Sheets-Sheet 2 mmvbm .flrik ur flazelq 35 W Gm;

Aug. 22, 1933- A. J. BAZELEY UNCOUPLING MECHANISM FOR CAR COUPLERS 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 25, 1928 awvwwbo'z .flrlf bur JBQ 26 35 M Momm;

Patented Au 22, 1933 PATENT OFFICE I UNCOUPLING MECHANISM FOR CARCOUPLERS Arthur J. Bazeley, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to NationalMalleable and Steel Castings Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a Corporation ofOhio Application February 25, 1928. Serial No. 256,897

5 Claims.

My invention relates to uncoupling mechanisms for "car couplers, andparticularly to car couplers employed on railroads in process ofequipping their rolling stock with automatic couplers. During thetransition period it is necessary that a uniform practice be followed,particularly in the classification yards, and hence provision must bemade for manual coupling of all cars in order that the car inspectorsmay be compelled to treat all cars alike, irrespective of the type ofcoupler, whether automatic or non-automatic, with which they areequipped. My invention accordingly has for its principal objectmechanism for neutralizing the lock of an automatic coupler (i. e.,means for holding such a lock in a non-operating position), whichthereby renders it necessary to release the lock manually from theoperation of such means before coupling can be effected. My inventionalso comprises various features which I shall hereinafter describe andclaim.

In'the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 shows a partial end elevation of arailway vehicle equipped with my improved uncoupling mechanism, with theparts in normal position, the coupler itself not being shown for thesake of clearness of the other parts; Fig. 2. is a side elevationthereof, likewise with the parts in normal position, but showing thecoupler; Fig. 3 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 2, but with theparts in position to hold the lock out of operation or in neutralizedposition. Referring more particularly to the drawings, I have shown myinvention applied to the end sill 2 of a railway vehicle which supportsthe usual coupler carrier and striking casting 3, the coupler 4 (shownin Figs. 2 and 3), and'buifers 5, one of which is shown in Fig. 1.

An uncoupling rod or shaft 6 is supported nea its outer end in a bracketcasting 7, bolted to the end sill 2, and at its inner end is carried ina ball O pling operations.

bearing housing 9 bolted to the under side of the end sill 2 near itscenter. Secured to the squared outer end of uncoupling rod 6 is a handwheel 10. A chain 11, adapted to be wound up on the uncoupling shaft 6to actuate the coupler lock retracting mechanism, is connected to theshaft at 12, and to the uncoupling lever 13. Also connected to the shaftat 12 is a chain 14 with counterweight 15 attached, which serves toreturn the parts to their original positions following uncou- In orderto keep the counterweight 15 from swinging too far forward andoscillating back and forth, it is preferably secured directly to a fixedpart of the car by links 16 or other suitable means.

A control chain 1'7 is secured to the operating rod 6 and wound aroundit in a direction opposite tothat in which the operating chain 11 isintended to be wound. It is secured to the bracket '7, at 18, and'is ofsuch a length as to be taut when the parts are in their normal positionas in Figs. 1 and 2. With this arrangement it is impossible to turn theoperating wheel in the wrong direction. It also serves as a limit stopfor the unwinding action induced by the counterweight 15.

The lock neutralizing mechanism, or means for holding the lock out ofoperation, comprises a lever 19 bent at its outer end to form a handle20, a retainer rod 21, and a lock retainer 22. Uncoupling lever l3has arounded projection 23 adjacent its counterweighted portion 24 forengagement with a recess 25 in the lock retainer 22. The lock retainer22 pivoted to the coupler at 26, and has at its rear end a projection27, which engages a shoulder 28 on the coupler 4 and prevents theretainer 22 from falling below the position shown in Fig. 2. Theretainer rod 21 projects through an eye 29 formed in the neutralizinglever 19, which is suspended at its inner end by a link 30 supportedfrom a bracket 31 secured to the car end sill 2, and is held at itsouter end in another bracket 32.

The retainer rod 21 is normally free to slide in the eye 29 of theneutralizing lever 19, and thus to accommodate itself to the buffing anddraft movements of the coupler with respect to the car. It is kept fromdisengagement with the eye 29 by a washer and pin 33.

The operation of. my improved mechanism is as follows: The lock of thecoupler is first retracted by turning the operating wheel 10 in aclockwise direction, so as to wind the operating chain 11 upon rod 6 androtate the uncoupling lever 13 around in a counter-clockwise direction,thus retracting the lock. 7 This action also raises counterweight 15 bywinding up the counterbalance chain 14. With the wheel 10 held in suchposition, the handle 20 of the neutralizing lever 19 is raised. Thisaction turns the neutralizing lever 19 and pinches retainer rod 21 inthe eye 29 of the lever, so that the retainer rod is no longer free toslide with respect thereto, and causes the forward end of the retainerrod to rotate upwardly. As the forward end of the retainer rod 21 rises,it causes the lock retainer 22 to rotate about its pivot 26 into theposition it occupies in Fig. 3. The hand wheel 10 is then released,allowing projection 23 of the uncoupling lever to seat in recess 25 ofthe lock retainer 22. The counterweight 15 restores the other parts totheir normal positions. The vehicle can now 3510 be shunted aroundwithout coupling until the operator again winds up the operating chainby means of hand wheel 10 to disengage the uncoupling lever 13 from theseat of its projection 23 in the lock retainer recess 25, thus allowingthe retainer 22 to drop down to its normal position as in Figs. I and 2.The lock of the coupler is then free to function automatically to couplewith the opposing automatic coupler.

My invention is of particular advantage, during the transition period,on railroads, such as the French State Railways, which requirecouplingunder tension, because the couplers are set slightly back of the line ofthe buffer, to provide for the clearance required for coupling with atransition mechanism, or coupler of a different type, and with whichlocksetting arrangements are ineffective.

The terms and expressions which I have. employed are used as terms ofdescription and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the useof such terms and expressions, of excluding any mechanical equivalentsof the features shown and described, or portions thereof, but recognizethat various structural modifications are possible within the scope ofthe invention claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In coupler operating mechanism, an uncoupling lever for raising thelock for uncoupling, means for actuating the uncoupling lever, a lockretainer movable with the coupler arranged to be rotated into engagementwith the uncoupling lever to support the lock in non-operating position,and an operating rod flexibly secured to the car to permit it to movewith the coupler in buff and draft and being adapted to bring the lockretainer into engagement with the uncoupling lever.

2. In mechanism for operating railway car couplers, an uncoupling leverfor raising the lock for uncoupling, means for actuating the uncouplinglever, a lock retainer mounted on the coupler head, and means forcausing the lock retainer to be shiftedinto engagement with theuncoupling lever for retaining the lock in non-operating position, saidmeans comprising an operating rod connected to said retainer and arockable member mounted on the car structure for movement with respectto the coupler and having sliding engagement with said operating rod.

3. In combination, a car coupler movable with respect to the car in buffand draft, coupler operating mechanism comprising an uncoupling leverfor raising the lock for uncoupling, a retaining lever arranged toengage the uncoupling lever to make the lock ineffective, and separateactuating means for each lever, the actuating means for said retaininglever including members slidably connected, one of said members arrangedso as to be movable longitudinally with said uncoupling lever when saidlevers are engaged to make the lock ineffective.

I 4. In combination, a car coupler movable with respect to the car inbuff and draft, coupler operating mechanism comprising an uncouplinglever for raising the lock for uncoupling, a retaining lever arranged toengage the uncoupling lever to make the lock ineffective, said leverbeing in substantially the same plane as the uncoupling lever, andseparate actuating means for each lever, the actuating means for saidretaining lever including members slidably connected, one of saidmembers arranged so as to be movable longitudinally with said uncouplinglever when said levers are engaged to make the lock ineffective.

5. In coupler operating mechanism a coupler movable with respect to acar in draft and buff and having a longitudinally slidable lock, anuncoupling lever pivoted on the side of the coupler for retracting thelock for uncoupling, means for actuating the uncoupling lever, a lockretainer mounted on the coupler head below said uncoupling lever, andmeans comprising an operating rod operable from the side of the car forcausing the lock retainer to be lifted toengage the uncoupling lever andthereby render the lock nonoperative.

ARTHUR J. BAZELEY.

